Companies Boost PAC Donations to New House Republicans

Seeking to curry favor with the winners of the November elections, companies and business groups have flooded new House Republicans with money.

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio participates in a ceremonial swearing in with Rep. Tom Marino (R., Pa.) on Jan. 5. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

New campaign-finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission late Monday show that companies have given about $2 million in campaign donations to the 80 or so newly elected Republicans in the period between Election Day and the end of the year.

In many cases, the donations to the freshman Republicans came after the companies supported their Democratic opponents in the election.

Companies are generally cautious in how they dole out campaign funds from their political action committees, nearly always donating to incumbents – regardless of party affiliation. Last year, for example, companies gave most of their campaign donations to Democrats. But Republicans won the election.

Whoops.

So now companies have reversed course and are scrambling to give money to new House Republicans…

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